Actors Get Trapped in Falling Elevator After Movie Premiere

Things got pretty scary following the New York premiere party of 'Janie Jones,' a Tribeca Film release starring Abigail Breslin, Alessandro Nivola and Elisabeth Shue. 14 people -- including Nivola, 'The Good Wife' star Josh Charles, and 'Janie Jones' director David M. Rosenthal -- were trapped in a falling elevator at the Gramercy Park Hotel in Manhattan. Said Rosenthal to Vulture: "We initially thought we'd gone all the way to the basement and bounced on the springs."

The trouble started around midnight when 12 party attendees left the 16th floor rooftop terrace at the hotel. Packed already, the elevator stopped a few floors down, where, per Vulture, "a hefty older gentleman from the Netherlands" and his significant other waited.

"Everyone is yelling and hooting," said Rosenthal, "and the guy I'm sure was drunk and thinks it's a party. So they decide to jump in, and as soon as they jump in, the thing starts plummeting down. His girlfriend is lucky she didn't get killed because her foot was barely inside the door when the elevator dropped."

It finally stopped after nearly eight floors, trapping the passengers just below the second floor of the hotel.

Initially, the 14 made jokes about the situation, but soon began to lose patience. It was only after Nivola's younger brother, waiting for him in the lobby, realized something was amiss that hotel officials were notified.

After waiting for FDNY personnel to arrive, the confined passengers took action and climbed out themselves; the fire department reportedly arrived just before the last person was pulled out to safety.

Gramercy officials say the malfunctioning elevator will undergo extensive testing, but that isn't enough for Charles.

"Here's my quote," he said to Vulture. "If anyone stays at the Gramercy, take out insurance before you ride the elevator. If you go to the Gramercy, try not to die. Use the stairs."